The following afternoon, having fled Lingquan Village overnight, Tie Ci and Murong Yi appeared at the mountain gate of Yueli Academy with enormous dark circles under their eyes.

The academy had undergone renovations and had now expanded hundreds of mu further into the back mountain. The mountain gate had also been expanded to appear more magnificent and imposing. Stone tablets were erected beside the original memorial archway, engraved with a list of local gentry who had donated funds and effort for the academy’s reconstruction. At the top of the list was carved the Emperor’s personal calligraphy reading “Charitable and Benevolent.” The archway itself was inscribed with “Teacher for Ten Thousand Generations.”

At this moment, the mountain gate stood wide open with an endless stream of people coming and going. Students from Yueli Academy had arranged long tables in a line at the entrance, specifically to receive guests from all directions. These selected students, both male and female, all spoke clearly, conversed eloquently, carried themselves with dignity, were familiar with all kinds of affairs, and methodically verified guests’ identities, registered names, arranged lodging, and provided guided tours… Despite the crowds before the mountain gate, everything remained orderly.

Tie Ci was in no hurry to enter. She and Murong Yi stood at a distance to one side, watching the arrangements before the mountain gate. She saw Qi You lower his robe hem and sleeves before the gate, leading everyone in a respectful bow toward the “Teacher for Ten Thousand Generations” archway.

She saw a pair of identical twins with innocent and adorable faces, basking in the motherly gazes of the female knights and female students around them, walking inside while chatting and laughing merrily.

She saw Fang Huai’an standing before the “Teacher for Ten Thousand Generations” archway, gazing at those four characters for a long time with furrowed brows, though whether he was dissatisfied with this unprecedented high praise for Yueli Academy or regretful that Celu Academy hadn’t received these four characters was unclear.

Tie Ci also saw that proud young lady from a branch of the Li family, whose large retinue of attendants had been courteously but firmly stopped at the gate by Yueli Academy students. The academy had regulations that servants were absolutely not permitted to enter, and everyone’s safety would be the responsibility of Yueli Academy once they entered.

Every academy had specialized guard units, and here at Yueli, they were elite troops jointly recruited and trained by the Rong family and the Crown Princess’s Nine Guards Command.

Tie Ci also saw that girl wearing simple blue cloth shoes, looking up at Yueli Academy’s plaque with eyes shining bright as stars, clearly having longed for Yueli Academy for quite some time.

Jian Xi stood beneath Yueli Academy’s tall white marble archway, happily saying to the senior sister beside her: “Finally getting to see Yueli Academy! I once almost…”

She stopped herself in time, thinking how dangerous that was. In front of a senior sister from Celu Academy, saying she had almost entered Yueli Academy but later missed the opportunity because she went to the capital to seek relatives – wouldn’t that displease her senior sister?

However, her senior sister wasn’t paying attention to what she was saying anyway, as her eyes were busy looking at the talented young men from various places.

So Jian Xi said nothing more, hugging her small bundle and happily surveying Yueli Academy – looking at the tall mountain gate, the long stairway paved with white stone, the plaza at the top of the stairs that could accommodate a thousand people dancing, the pavilions and towers scattered harmoniously among the verdant mountains… All these places had once been trod upon by the Crown Princess, where mountains had paused their steps and rivers had reflected her image – all traces of that person’s graceful bearing.

She was Jian Xi’s lifelong idol, her unknown salvation.

Born into a minor official’s family, a woman’s predetermined fate was to remain secluded in her chambers as a child and marry young.

Yet she had loved reading since childhood.

Fortunately, being the only daughter in the family, her father was also enlightened and arranged for her to attend a wealthy relative’s women’s clan school.

As she grew older, the women’s clan school disbanded. At that time, she heard that Yueli Academy was accepting female students and begged her father to let her attend, but the family couldn’t afford the academy’s tuition fees.

Just then, someone came to propose marriage, and both parents were moved by the offer.

Just as fate seemed to be sliding along its predetermined track, Yueli Academy underwent dramatic changes. The Crown Princess later returned to court, triggering a series of political upheavals. Her father’s superior was transferred to the capital and, appreciating her father’s abilities, sent a letter inviting him to serve as his assistant in the imperial capital.

This allowed her to escape the marriage proposal and move to the imperial capital. It took half a year to settle in, and by the time her parents wanted to arrange another marriage for her, Yueli Academy had reopened. The Crown Princess’s deeds at the academy spread far and wide, Yueli’s reputation soared, and other academies, feeling the pressure, began accepting female students as well. Since female students were difficult to recruit, they also lowered tuition requirements for female students.

She seized the opportunity to desperately plead with her father, using the argument that when the Crown Princess entered court in the future, women’s status would advance further and more female officials might be needed, requesting that her father give both her and the family a chance. Only then did she obtain the opportunity to study at Celu Academy.

This nearly exhausted the family’s resources, so she studied day and night with excellent academic performance.

However, being a woman after all, at Celu Academy which had only just begun accepting female students, she ultimately remained in a disadvantaged position. Though her academic excellence was no less than Senior Brother Fang’s, it was always Senior Brother Fang’s reputation that spread outside.

But Jian Xi didn’t want to pay too much attention to these matters. She had a small dream in her heart, unrelated to fame or status.

She simply wanted to see Yueli Academy with her own eyes, walk the paths the Crown Princess had walked, touch the flowers, grass, trees and stones the Crown Princess had once touched, and silently say thank you to that noble and miraculous woman.

Thank her for changing her own fate, for changing many people’s fates.

Her experience studying at Celu Academy taught her that even if women studied, they might not necessarily have the same opportunities as men. But thanks to the Crown Princess, she had the opportunity to study, learned more skills, and saw a broader world. Even if she had no chance to distinguish herself, she could still, as that young man she met in Lingquan Village had said, go out and be herself.

However… Jian Xi sighed. She still very much wanted to stand in the imperial court alongside those officials, working tirelessly for the Female Emperor’s realm and bringing benefit to the people.

It was just that reality told her this was merely a dream. She couldn’t even participate in a Three Academies Competition without being ordered to restrain her abilities to ensure Senior Brother Fang’s victory, or else she wouldn’t be allowed to continue her academy studies. How could she talk about becoming a general or minister, or serving as an official?

“…Junior Sister Jian, this is Liang Hall where the Crown Princess once studied.” The gentle voice of a Yueli Academy senior sister sounded beside her ear. Jian Xi peered through gaps in the crowd and saw a desk at the very back of the room, rather conspicuously placed in the center and appearing higher than the other desks.

Someone nearby was explaining the origin of this desk – how the Crown Princess had been given a show of force on her first day of classes with the raised desk, how she had kicked it level with one foot, and how she had forced Qi Yuansi to nearly eat excrement with a wager involving three excellent grades.

These were all stories from “The Chronicle of Loving Hearts.” The narrator spoke with flying spittle while listeners were filled with excitement. Jian Xi could practically recite this book by heart. Her attention fell on the wall by the entrance to Liang Hall, where there seemed to be traces of someone having painted, but it had been hastily covered over, leaving only faint deep and shallow marks visible.

Since it wasn’t a real painting, it could only be seen from certain angles. Among the countless people who passed by Liang Hall daily, very few would notice it, and even those who did would only catch a fleeting glimpse, with few stopping to examine it closely.

Only Jian Xi, curious about what had once been painted here, reached out to touch it.

Suddenly someone beside her said: “A red sun, desert, grassland, fine horses, and soldiers defending home and country were once painted here.”

Jian Xi turned around and saw the young man who had helped her hang colored streamers yesterday. She smiled bashfully.

When the two of them lingered here, they naturally attracted much attention. People immediately approached, including Fang Huai’an and the twins. Tie Ci casually sketched out a few strokes of the painting Dan Ye had once created. Fang Huai’an nodded and said: “Quite majestic and powerful.”

As soon as he spoke, Jian Xi retreated behind the crowd. Tie Ci glanced at her.

The twins exchanged a look and smiled: “The painter must truly love his land and people.”

Thinking of Dan Ye, Tie Ci nodded and smiled.

Nearby, Murong Yi suddenly said coolly: “But don’t you all think something is missing from this painting?”

At these words, everyone examined the painting carefully. Someone tentatively suggested: “Missing a general?”

“Missing civil officials proclaiming righteous principles.”

“This depicts war – it’s missing the victory celebration.”

Everyone chattered away while Tie Ci just listened with a smile, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Until a voice said somewhat timidly: “I think… it’s missing women.”

Tie Ci turned around and saw Jian Xi summon her courage to step forward, but when everyone looked her way, she instinctively stepped back.

Someone dismissively said: “Battles on the battlefield – what need is there for women?”

Immediately a female knight shouted from afar: “Fool! Have you not heard of General Di!”

All the males immediately fell silent.

The twins clapped their hands in unison: “Have you gentlemen not heard of the Crown Princess’s civil and martial accomplishments?”

Now no one dared say anything more.

In the distance, Rong Pu approached with several teachers. He had originally gone to the mountain gate to welcome Tie Ci, but after waiting a long time and only seeing Dan Shuang and others, hearing that Tie Ci had already entered, he hurriedly followed. Now seeing the person in the crowd, Rong Pu stopped first.

The teachers following behind him were mostly newly recruited great scholars who didn’t recognize Tie Ci. Seeing the dean stop, they also stopped.

Rong Pu opened his small floral umbrella and looked across the crowd at Tie Ci, whom he hadn’t seen for over half a year.

The trip to Yannan had tanned her.

But her eyes were brighter and her temperament more composed.

There was irrepressible laughter in his eyes. The Crown Princess truly had this ability to make people instinctively listen and follow.

Reuniting with one’s beloved was a beautiful thing, provided the beloved didn’t have a certain pretty boy beside her.

Rong Pu’s gaze lightly swept across Murong Yi’s face. In the crowd, Murong Yi keenly sensed this, turned to see Rong Pu, curled his lips in a smile, and placed his hand on Tie Ci’s shoulder.

At this moment, Tie Ci was adding female figures to Dan Ye’s original painting. Seeing this fellow making trouble, she casually swatted his hand away.

Murong Yi smiled even more happily, not even glancing at Rong Pu.

Rong Pu smiled slightly.

Beside him followed the dean’s secretary, essentially his clerk, who saw the dean smiling brilliantly and asked a nearby guard: “Uncle, why is the dean suddenly smiling so joyfully?”

The guard who followed Rong Pu was one who had originally stayed at the academy with him. Hearing this, he sighed and said: “Because he’s driven mad with rage.”

The secretary: “…”

Really?